Electro-magnetic fog-bell



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR BARBARIN AND B. F. SIMMS, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC FOG-BELL.

Specification forming partof Letters Pateithlo. 15,323, dated July 15, 1856.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ARTHUR BARBARIN and B. F. Simms, of New Orleans, iu the State of Louisiana, have invented an Improved Fog- Bell; and we do hereby deelare'that the fol-l tion with the parts all in oncframe; Fig-2, a'

plan of the fog-bell and clock-work.

The nature of our invention consists in the employment. of electro magnetic' power for ringing fog-bells -underaa arrangement and operation of parts substantially as herein set Numerous` devices. have been hitherto essayed and failed for the ringing ot fog-bells. all o t them depending upon the mechanical action of the rise and fall of tides, the motion of waves, or the direct action of some person f to ring them. The constant ringing required day and night for these bells causes too great an expenditure of power to admit of clockwork as the source ot' motion; lbut by our arrangement a slight clock-movement is all suffi-f cient to cause and regulate the ringing of the largest bells, the mechanical force required to strike the bell being derived directlyfrom the -electro-ma'gneticpower. Thisis brough about by the following means: A is an electro-magnet, the armature -B ot' which is attached to the short army of a lever, C. Upon the end of the long arm of this lever is a hammer, D, so situated that when this arm ot' the lever is raised the hammer strikes the bell E.

The system of clock-work F F is of common construction and to be driven by a weight or spring at pleasure.

To the verge G of the escapement are fixed two wires, H H', the free ends of which (as the verge vibrates to and fro) dip alternately into mercury-cups K K and establish and break the'electrical circuit -in which the electro-magnetsA' A are includedY Thefbattery Vis not here shown, the wire connections witlrit and with the magnets and the cups K K being arranged afterl the usual.

and well-known mode of connecting magnets and batteries with a device: for breaking the electrical circuit. Thus whenever the wires dip into the mercury-cups the battery-conuection is established, the electro-magnets are charged, and the armatures being attracted to them cause the hammers to strike the bells, and while the clock runs the bells ring.-

`Thus far we have described theapparatus audits' operation as if it were all associated together in one framefwork.

To illustrate our invention we must suppo s, a

that the electro-magnets and bells are secured to a suitable buoy, raft, or oat, or to a tower or reef,.cr.to any suitable basis inthe vicinity of a dangerous shoal or reef, and that the gal vanic battery and clock-work are in any desirable situation` onshore, and that the wire coufnections ofthe apparatus are arranged and operate as shown in the drawings, with the exception that the' wires reach fromthe tower or buoy to the clock-work and battery on the shore. In this vcase the wires must be carefully insulated', as they are for submarine wires for telegraphs', and they maybe submerged or not, according to the circumstances of the local" tion,A

The clock is to be carefully attended to keep'- it wound up and going, and aspare clock maybe necessary'inI case ot repairs, as the` clock must be always going and the alarm or fog bells ringing constantly day and night.

We do not claim as our invention the'electro-magnetic alarm or signal bell, nor any4 of the parts separately of the fog-bell apparatus;

but

We claim- The application of electricity and magnetism to the ringing of fog-bells, substantially in the manner set forth.

ARTHUR BARBARIN.

B. F. SIMMS.

Witnesses:

HENRY A. GLmDoN, I. W. GURLEY. 

